Frequently Asked Questions
Get the Answers You Need About Our Manhattan Fertility Acupuncture Facility
Get to know the founder and director of The Berkley Center for Reproductive Wellness, Mike Berkley. In this presentation you will have a better understanding of The Berkley Center, acupuncture, herbal medicine, treatments for infertility, and much more. Click Here
Do you have weekend appointments?
We are committed to our patients, and as such we do offer extended hours and limited weekend availability. However, if you have a special case, such as an embryo transfer and you wish to receive acupuncture treatment pre and post, do not hesitate to give us a call and we will arrange an appointment for you. We are here for you.
How long does it take to get an appointment?
Normally it takes about a week or two. However, we understand that you may have your own time constraints or are working with a Reproductive Endocrinologist for an upcoming ART cycle. With our extended hours, we should be able to accommodate you as soon as possible.
How do I make an appointment?
If you live or work nearby, call (646) 832-4480 to set up your appointment for your in-person consultation.
If you live outside of New York State, we can provide telephone consultations which allow us to prescribe an individualized, fertility-increasing herbal medicine prescription for you. As part of the telephone consultation we will help you find an acupuncturist close to you with whom we will work closely to monitor your progress.
Do you accept health insurance?
Yes with prior approval from your insurance company. Please note we are out-of-network-providers.
Why specialize in infertility treatment?
I started out initially with a general practice, however one event changed everything. I had a 42-year-old patient who was suffering from infertility. She had been trying to conceive for three years, but her Western medical diagnosis was premature-ovarian-failure. After treating her for three months she burst through my door crying and informed me that she was pregnant! Still today, I have a photograph of her little boy, and it was the first baby picture to adorn my wall-of-success. It was then that I decided to devote my life to helping couples start or expand their families.
What types of infertility cases does The Berkley Center for Reproductive Wellness treat?
Our proprietary acupuncture and herbal medicine protocols continue to successfully treat hormonal imbalances as well as male factor, luteal phase defect, PCOS, endometriosis, thin lining, low ovarian reserve, and poor egg quality just to name a few. By combining acupuncture and herbs we are seeing a greater number of take-home-babies in comparison to undergoing IUI (intrauterine insemination) or IVF (in vitro fertilization) alone.
Who is your typical patient?
We treat both female and male patients, typically between the ages of 25 to 45. Some want to try a natural approach before considering IVF, others want to utilize complementary medicine care in conjunction with their IVF protocol. Many of our male patients come wanting to improve their sperm quality or to help shorten the recovery time after a vericocelectomy while simultaneously helping to improve sperm quality.
How does acupuncture help treat infertility?
Acupuncture and herbal medicine improve blood-flow (hemodynamics) to the reproductive organs, thereby improving egg-quality and lining quality. Our treatments often show great improvement in egg quality, sperm quality, and lining quality, the three things necessary for a successful pregnancy.
What do the herbal medicines you use in your practice do? Are they safe?
Our herbal medicine supplier, Kamwo Herbs, has been serving the traditional Chinese medicine community since 1973. All of their herbs meet the governmental regulations of both the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the United States Food and Drug Administration. They are guaranteed to be sulfur-free and safe for consumption.
Herbal medicine directly affects egg quality, lining quality and sperm quality. Remember, you’re getting acupuncture twice weekly, but you’re taking herbs 7 days per week. Therefore, you’re actually getting treated 7 days per week. Herbs work from the inside out whereas acupuncture works from the outside in – the perfect yin-yang combination to elicit desired results of improved reproductive function.
How important is diet?
There is plenty of evidence to support that nutritional factors affect fertility and pregnancy outcomes. If what you eat affects whether you will contract cancer or whether you are putting yourself at risk for heart disease, then why shouldn’t your diet affect your fertility or your ability to carry a pregnancy to term? This is why even small changes in your nutrition and lifestyle could affect fertility and pregnancy results. We will help you achieve the proper diet for your case.
What are Mike’s qualifications?
You can read my full profile and resume over at my biography page, but in short, I am a graduate of the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in New York City, and have been in practice as a New York State Licensed, and Board Certified Acupuncturist and a Board Certified Herbalist since 1997. I am very proud to be the very first acupuncturist and herbal medicine practitioner to devote myself to understanding and treating reproductive disorders.
- Some of my other accomplishments include:
- Acting member of member of Resolve, the American Infertility Association, and the American Society of Reproductive Medicine.
- Advisory Board Member of The InterNational Council on Infertility Information Dissemination (INCIID)
- On the Advisory Board of Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM)
- On the Board of ATIME.
- On the Advisory Board of the American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine (ABORM).
- First acupuncturist to be inducted into the New York State Obstetricians/Gynecology Society.
- Frequently lecture to medical doctors, acupuncturists and patients on infertility, acupuncture and herbal medicine.
- Published author of articles on Infertility and Complementary Medicine
- Have appeared on national radio and television shows such as NY1 News, NBC News, and The Regis Philbin Show
How long will I have to be treated for?
We work with our patients for the entire time that they are trying to conceive. Once you are pregnant, we will treat you for the first trimester in order to help you maintain your pregnancy. If you are a candidate for herbal medicine, you will be prescribed a customized formula which is taken twice daily for three to five months.
What if I have a question not answered here?
Just give us a call at (646) 832-4480 during regular business hours and our Patient Services Coordinators will assist you. Don’t be afraid to reach out to us with any other questions you may have!